Dick Vitale is rowing the boat one day at a time in his cancer journey, with the longtime ESPN college basketball analyst and former college coach revealing Tuesday that the University of Minnesota football team sent him an oar as a symbol of their support.
“Wow I was told a few minutes ago at the OAR sent to me from [the University of Minnesota] really was from [Coach Fleck] and [Gopher football] as I was told the theme he has adopted is we r Rowing with u,” Vitale tweeted. “To all of the GOLDEN GOPHERS it lifted my spirits as I was doing my CHEMO.”
Wow I was told a few minutes ago that the OAR sent to me fom @UMNews really was from @Coach_Fleck & @GopherFootball as I was told the theme he has adopted is we r Rowing with u .To all of the GOLDE GOPHERS it lifted my spirits as I was doing my CHEMO . Gophers r #awesomebaby
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) November 16, 2021
“I feel great. I feel energized. I feel super. I feel no side effects. I’m hoping, I’m praying – yeah I’m praying big time,” Vitale said Wednesday after being released from the hospital following his chemo treatment.
The GOLDE Gophers r rowing with me as I just finished my chemotherapy for the day . I want to send a big #AWESOMEBABY to @Coach_Fleck & @GopherFootball for their KINDNESS as it gave me a big lift mentally & emotionally! 🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/oVS3sdvt8d
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) November 16, 2021
Vitale, 82, announced in October that he had been diagnosed with cancer for the second time this year.
This time around he’s battling lymphoma, having earlier undergone several surgeries to remove a melanoma, for which he was declared cancer-free.
The “row the boat” philosophy was instilled at the U of M by Fleck, who preaches a never-give-up attitude in all phases of life. Fleck adopted the philosophy after he and his wife, Heather, lost their second son to a heart condition in 2011.
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